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The Hill
11-08-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Ex-Trump surgeon general slams RFK's ‘tepid' response to CDC shooting
Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams blasted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his 'delayed and tepid response' to the fatal shooting that occurred at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Friday. In an opinion piece published by Stat on Saturday, Adams wrote it was 'clear' that the shooting was a 'a dire reflection of ever-escalating threats public health workers face in a climate increasingly shaped by misinformation, politicization, and inflammatory rhetoric.' Last Friday afternoon, a shooter whom authorities have identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White shot at the Atlanta headquarters of the CDC, killing DeKalb County police officer David Rose. White's father reportedly told police his son had been fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine. In his op-ed, Adams, who served in the first Trump administration, lambasted Kennedy for waiting 18 hours before issuing a statement, writing that he himself heard from staffers at the CDC within that time frame who felt 'already demoralized.' 'Leadership in moments of crisis is critical. Kennedy's delayed and tepid response, coupled with his own record of inflammatory claims, has only deepened the wounds and amplified a dangerous sense of betrayal among America's frontline public health workers,' Adams wrote. He also noted other recent violent incidents, including a shooting at a Pennsylvania hospital and the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 'What ties these events together is not just the violence — but the context that enables it,' wrote Adams. 'Repeated rhetoric from influential voices, including Kennedy and his supporters, has portrayed health professionals as corrupt, untrustworthy, or outright malicious. They've been labeled 'grifters,' 'enemies of the people,' and worse.' He called on federal leadership to condemn rhetoric that vilifies public health professionals, to stop scapegoating public frustration onto health professionals, protect health care workers and to fund actionable solutions instead of just messaging. Appearing on CBS News's 'Face the Nation,' Adams continued his criticism of Kennedy, noting the secretary's past remarks villainizing the CDC. 'He said no one should be harmed while working to protect the public. There's an out there,' said Adams. 'If you don't believe that people are working to protect the public, then that means it's okay to commit violence, at least in some people's eyes.' Writing on social media following the shooting, Kennedy said, 'We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others. We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty.' 'Secretary Kennedy has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees,' HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement Monday. 'He extends his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Officer David Rose, who was tragically killed. Officer Rose's sacrifice to protect the CDC on its darkest day will never be forgotten. 'This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain,' Nixon added.
Irish Examiner
09-08-2025
- Irish Examiner
'We meant nothing to the State. My mother was given the name Dolly, and her number was 2274'
John Duncan Morris knew who his birth mother was for many years, and that he had two sisters, but he waited until he was 54 years old before he made any approach 'for fear of causing upset'. 'I didn't want to hurt anyone and so I always held off, and I think that was the right thing" he explained. 'They were living their lives, and I didn't know if my sisters knew about me. It wasn't until my wife encouraged me to try and connect, that I started making those steps'. The father of two, who lives in Scotland with his family, began gathering his paperwork under Freedom of Information more than a decade ago. He learned he was born in Cork's Bessborough mother and baby home in 1967, before he was moved to St Joseph's home in Stamullen in Co Meath 90 days later. John's mother, Kathleen Morris, who was from Cavan, did not marry his father and remained working for the nuns as a domestic in Cork for the next year before she moved back home. There, she kept her secret until she was 89 years old. 'On April 13, 1967, I was taken by a nun from Cork to Heuston station in Dublin, where a social worker took me to Stamullen in Meath,' John told the Irish Examiner. John Duncan Morris as a child. 'After five years in Stamullen I was transferred to St Mary's in north Dublin, where I was described as mildly handicapped. I was there for two and a half years, and then I was boarded out to a family for nine years. 'I never called them mum and dad; I called them by their first names. I was never adopted. When I was 16 years old, I went to the Los Angeles boys' home in Blackrock, in South Dublin and I do have fond memories of that time," he said. Despite being taken from his mother as an infant and moved around several care homes until he was in his late teens, John is not entitled to any redress under the mother and baby institution redress scheme. The scheme, which opened to survivors of mother and baby homes in March of last year, is meant to offered redress for the time men and women spent in such institutions, and for the mental trauma so many of them experienced. The act stipulates that anyone who was in a home for less than six months is not entitled to a payment, while children who were boarded or fostered out, are also excluded. The Bessborough home in Cork is recognised under the scheme, however, John was only there for 90 days, and therefore does not meet the criteria for payment. And even though he spent five years in St Joseph's home in Stamullen in Co Meath, it is not on the list of eligible homes — so John is not entitled to any redress for his time spent there either. The €800m redress scheme — the largest of its kind — has been criticised for the fact it excludes people like John Duncan Morris and up to 34,000 other mother and baby home survivors — and campaigners say has only added to the trauma suffered by these people. Last month, John and fellow survivor Maire Thornton — who are not known to each other — took the first High Court case against the State over these exclusions. Last month, John, and fellow survivor Maire Thornton took the first High Court case against the State over exclusions from the mother and baby home redress scheme. In a sitting in Dundalk Co Louth, counsel for Coleman Legal, which has 1,400 clients in similar circumstances, argued they should be included in the scheme and that children's minister Norma Foley — who is defending the action — has the discretion to add other homes to the eligible list. Presiding judge Alexander Owens was told to exclude survivors from the scheme under these rules was 'in breach of the doctrine of reasonableness and is unfair and arbitrary'. The plaintiffs want a review of the exercise of discretionary power according to 'settled principles of reasonableness'. Mark Harty SC and John Gordon SC for the plaintiffs, claimed the Government had acted unreliably in its establishment of a policy of refusing to provide redress to individuals from certain mother and baby institutions. The hearing was centred on the wording of section 49 of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Act 2022. It states: 'The minister, with the consent of the minister for public expenditure, may by regulation provide for the insertion in column two of part one, or column two of part two, of schedule of any institutions which was established for the purpose of providing pregnant-related and infant care services and the placement of children for the purposes of adoption or care arrangements, and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function'. Senior counsel for the minister, Eileen Barrington SC, told the High Court the act states the homes that are eligible for the scheme were ones that provided pregnant-related and infant care — and that St Josephs and Temple Hill — where the second plaintiff Marie Thornton was placed, were for infant care only. Justice Alexander Grant has reserved his judgement for a later date. Speaking outside the court John said: 'We shouldn't be here fighting this, it's not about money, it is about the State recognising you.' His sister, Sarah McCloskey, who met John for the first time four years ago, said: 'It is disgraceful it had to come to this. They are still forcing John into the courts, it is crazy, I can't believe they are doing that, and it's all based on what institution qualifies when it was a person who was affected.' Ms McCloskey said she was 'delighted' when she learned she had an older brother in 2021. She had sat with her mother through films such as Philomena, based on Philomena Lee's search for her son, who was given up for adoption without her consent, and stories similar to her mother's own. 'But she never let on,' Ms McCloskey told the Irish Examiner. 'There was no indication whatsoever, except that she was very critical of the nuns and the church, she stopped going to mass and she didn't send us to religious schools. 'When we learned about John through a letter from Tusla, when he decided to reach out, we were absolutely delighted. When I think of how lucky I was, I went to college in Dublin in 1989 and did my degree, and my sister went to Trinity — we were so privileged, and John was going through all this just because of the stigma of a baby out of wedlock. It was disgraceful. Sarah said when her mother met John it was like 'a massive burden off her shoulders'. 'John doesn't share the same father as me and my sister, dad died when I was 17, so mam raised us on her own and did everything for us' she said. John Duncan Morris with his mother Kathleen, who he met for the first time in October 2021 when she was 89 years old. Sadly, that first meeting between John and his mother on October 14, 2021, was to be John's last — because Kathleen died in February 2022. 'I would have liked to get to know her more,' said John. 'But that meeting went really well, she could see a resemblance between me and her father'. While Sarah said: 'It was 50 something years of holding this in, and then it all came out it was a great release for her. 'My mother thought he was adopted, but he never was, and she immediately went into mothering mode with him." Sarah and John both admit they were nervous before the meeting at her home in Cavan. 'We sat and had tea and cakes, and we talked. 'But mam was absolutely delighted to meet you John, she put her arms around you.' The plan was to meet again for their mother's 90th birthday the following April, but Kathleen's health declined, and she died, and John was 'honoured' to help carry her coffin at her funeral mass. 'Mum said she planned to leave a letter' said Sarah, 'But she hadn't the opportunity to tell us about that part of her life. 'The whole redress and what is happening in the court room, it's about the legality of things. And it's not just about the nuns, the Cavan social workers were involved too", she said. While John added 'We meant nothing to the State. My mother was sent out to work for a year after I was born, she was given the name Dolly, and her number was 2274'. 'She was like a prisoner,' said Sarah. 'None of it is right and no survivor should be here fighting this.' John's case was heard alongside Marie Thornton, who is now 71 years old, and is now a married mother of grown-up children. She said she knows who her parents are, but that they 'were not allowed to get married'. 'And so, I ended up in Temple Hill,' she said. Pointing to her left leg with her cane, she described how her two legs are different, 'this one [on the left] is very damaged because of three degree burns and I live in constant pain.' This lifelong injury she has had to learn to live with, was referenced in her High Court action in Dundalk and Justice Owens was told the injuries were sustained while in the care home in Temple Hill. 'I was born in a private maternity hospital in 1954 and then one week later I was put into Temple Hill in Blackrock" said Marie. 'I was adopted, and the order shows I was adopted in 1958, four years later. I have records from my adoptive parents asking the nuns about my leg and how they were never given much information on how to deal with it.' Ms Thornton is also excluded from the redress scheme because Temple Hill is not recognised in the list of eligible institutions under the scheme. 'It is totally unfair' she said. 'I am not here for money; I am here to stand up for myself and others". Ms Thornton said her adoption was 'not a good one' and she spent decades trying to piece her life together. "I was born in June, and in August the burns occurred and I ended up in Temple Street hospital. 'Obviously, a serious accident must have occurred but to this day I have no answers, I was never told, even though they have very limited information from the medical records from Temple Street, they do refer to the burns in my records'. She said she tried since she was 18 years old to get her information but was told by the nuns she had 'no right' to it. One nun was sitting with my very large file beside her and all she could say was, 'what do you want that for'. 'They did as they pleased and now the minister is refusing to take us on board. It's been a lifetime of fighting". The latest figures from the Department of Children show: 6,641 applications have been made to date 58% via online portal, 42% via post; 4,523 general and work-related payments have been processed; There have been applications from 25 countries. 83% from Ireland, 11% UK, 4% USA and 2% rest of world. Norman Spicer with Coleman Legal told the Irish Examiner he was working with 1,400 survivors and "It was appalling that the State had fought the survivors of these institutions who suffered at the hands of the religious orders and the State, in institutions which mirrored in every way, the circumstances that existed in institutions already qualifying for redress under the scheme". Mr Spicer went on to say the State had an obligation to match action with words when it came to the apology given to survivors of the institutions in January 2021. Commenting on a recent report compiled by the minister on the redress scheme, Mr Spicer said it was clear the numbers currently eligible to apply to the scheme fell well short of the expected 34,000 applicants envisaged when it was established. Almost 18 months into the scheme's operation, only about 8% of the €800m budget had been spent on redress for survivors with about 6,600 applications made. Mr Spicer argues to extend redress to these two institutions was not only the right thing to do but would clearly still keep the costs confined to the budget set previously by government. A statement from Ms Foley's office said: 'As this case is still before the courts, we cannot provide a response at this time.'
Montreal Gazette
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
St-Victor: Juliette Powell never stood still, whether on MusiquePlus or tech's cutting edge
I'm a romantic and believe that television's golden age is yet to come, and that the medium's death has been greatly exaggerated. Still, while it may be hard to believe now, once upon a time television unified people every day, at the same time and not on demand. TV was about daily rendezvous, not just when it was time for sports spectacles and year-end shows. Quebec TV is unique. These daily rendezvous still exist, and beyond game shows and newscasts. In addition to those staples, the province produces high-quality, addictive televised fiction, like Radio-Canada's Stat and Dumas. At another time, for another generation, the daily rendezvous included everything and anything that aired on MusiquePlus. The U.S. had MTV, and the rest of Canada had MuchMusic. MTV became an unavoidable stop for artists and politicians alike, including a presidential candidate named Bill Clinton, who created one of the most memorable moments of his 1992 campaign on the channel. It wasn't that much different here in Quebec: MusiquePlus was a must for both international and local stars, who used the network to première their videos or announce their tours. Hosts emerged who thrived beyond their departure from the channel, which stopped airing in 2019, and who remain influential staples of our media landscape, like Anne-Marie Withenshaw and Rebecca Makonnen. Also on the MusiquePlus roster of hosts was Juliette Powell, who died June 3 of acute bacterial meningitis, a few weeks shy of her 55th birthday. I met her in 2009, not long after she released her book 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business With Social Networking. I interviewed her for a blog, and she was brilliant and generous. She was also an avant-gardist, understanding that social media was going to change everything. In her book, she analyzed Barack Obama's sophisticated usage of social media platforms, which has since become a blueprint for so many aspiring politicians. Powell also had influence. I wonder if she knew what seeing her on the screen meant to so many of us. When a public personality dies, the praise they receive is quite a barometer. When news of Powell's passing broke this week, there was an avalanche of love on social media. In addition to the sadness, posts have expressed admiration for a woman who broke many barriers. Sure, she was the first Black Canadian to be named Miss Canada in 1989, but parlaying that into a television gig where she interviewed some of the world's most prominent musical artists was quite a feat. For many of us, she was a star among stars. Did she know it? Possibly not. Local media critics could be brutal and gratuitous. But that's the price when you're one of the first and one of the very few. The impossibly high bar is set not by you, but by those who question whether you belong. MusiquePlus had its share of mediocre VJs. Juliette Powell was not one of them. Those of us who cherished seeing a Black woman on Quebec television knew this. She moved to Toronto in 1996, hosting on MuchMusic and also studying economics, which led to business reporting on television. Her continued thirst for knowledge brought her to New York, where she graduated from Columbia University and recently taught at New York University. She remained one step ahead of most of us, researching and advising on artificial intelligence and ethics in tech. Powell was gorgeous and, honestly, she could have just banked on her looks, but she was too bright and had too much talent and vision for that. She was style and substance. And that, too, had an impact. Did she know? Whether or not she did, Juliette Powell mattered.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Kris Knoblauch's keen ability to adjust elevated Edmonton Oilers
In the 18 months since Kris Knoblauch took over as coach of the Edmonton Oilers, he has guided the team to the Stanley Cup Final each time. For fans of the team, the unassuming Knoblauch represents an elite problem solver. That ability to tinker with the roster, using only players who are readily available, has become a calling card of the team's head coach. After going to Game 7 of the final last spring, he now has the Oilers four wins from the championship. Advertisement Here's a list of how Knoblauch helped the Oilers arrive as a Western Conference powerhouse. Knoblauch gets credit for placing the top line and pairing (Connor McDavid's trio with Evan Bouchard's partner, most often Mattias Ekholm) to form an elite unit. His predecessor, Jay Woodcroft, had already started the practice, but in typical Knoblauch style, the results under his guidance during the 2023-24 season were superior to Woodcroft's: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick There were other changes, and the NHL experiences a 'dead cat bounce' routinely after a coaching change, but the improvement was immediate, exceptional and had sustain. During the 2024-25 season, McDavid's line and Bouchard's pairing continued to dominate NHL opposition. Averaging 12:18 per game at five-on-five, the five-man unit scored 62 percent of the goals (63 percent expected) and dumbfounded NHL coaches. In this year's postseason, the unit has averaged 10:45 minutes per game five-on-five, with a 62 percent goal share (59 percent expected). That's against top-flight competition. Knoblauch didn't invent the five-man offensive wrecking crew, but he did perfect its deployment. There was a time when Oilers players played through pain, at the expense of performance. San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier had a legendary pain threshold when he played for Edmonton. He dealt with shoulder issues, and there were times when he would skate back to the bench after a hit, grimacing in pain. Grier would get his shoulder reset on the bench and make the next shift. So it was interesting to watch this year's team take maximum time (and then some) when players were injured. A look at the team's foundation players shows several (McDavid missed 15 games, Leon Draisaitl 11) Oilers missing extended periods via injuries or suspension. Advertisement There's no rule against resting players longer after injury, and there's no evidence the Oilers did this during 2024-25. The team is healthier this year, with only Ekholm missing significant playoff time this spring before the injury to Zach Hyman. Also, Evander Kane timed various medical procedures that allowed him to be ready for the second game of the playoffs. Knoblauch has been a little unorthodox in his handling of his goaltenders during his two playoff runs in Edmonton. In the spring of 2024, Stuart Skinner struggled during the series versus Vancouver Canucks. Knoblauch inserted Calvin Pickard for a couple of games, and then went back to his starter. That's a traditional handling of goaltending tandems. This spring, Skinner once again struggled, and the coach made a change. This time, he ran Pickard through the end of the series against the Los Angeles Kings and the beginning of the Vegas Golden Knights seven-game tilt. Only injury gave Skinner another chance. Entering the final, Knoblauch has shown confidence in both goaltenders, and they have rewarded his faith in them. All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick These are exceptional numbers, with Skinner's save percentage the best for an Oilers starting goalie since Cam Talbot (.932) in the 2017 playoffs. Knoblauch has a reputation for having his finger on the pulse of the roster. There's no better example than his handling of the goaltenders this spring. One of the big questions entering the playoffs for Edmonton surrounded Ekholm's absence. Oilers fans worried about the team's ability to replace him on the top pairing without upsetting the rest of the defensive depth chart. Knoblauch did two things: He ran Brett Kulak on the double, pairing him with both Bouchard (132 minutes) and Darnell Nurse (93 minutes) at even strength. The unusual deployment worked through most of three rounds, before Ekholm-Bouchard returned late in the series against the Dallas Stars. Advertisement The second tweak, and the major lift, came from pairing newcomers Jake Walman and John Klingberg. The two men showed sensational puck-moving ability, with Klingberg delivering breathtaking headman passes for big goals in what can only be described as a return to his impact level at his peak Dallas years. The pairing played 168 minutes together through three rounds, and were an enormous help in getting the club through the period when Ekholm was not available. Up and down the roster, Knoblauch's ability to call on players who are not in the everyday lineup has been impressive. Some of it comes from a deep roster, but every team that goes deep has quality stored in the press box. A good example of Knoblauch's ability to find what he needs is veteran winger Kasperi Kapanen. Inserted because of his foot speed (he's in the 97th percentile via NHL Edge) and aggressive play, the Oilers are thriving with Kapanen on the ice. Other players who have been spotted in and out of the lineup include Ty Emberson (nine games), Troy Stecher (six games) and Jeff Skinner (two games). Knoblauch rolls four lines and three pairings when possible. The coach will insert the McDavid line (or Draisaitl trio) after commercial breaks in order to get optimal performance from his elite talent. During the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Knoblauch deployed Draisaitl (at times with McDavid) against Jack Eichel's line a higher-than-average amount. In 42 minutes head-to-head, Edmonton won the shot share (60 percent), goal share (67 percent) and expected goal share (57 percent). That kind of head-to-head matchup is out of the norm for Knoblauch. In this case, it worked well, as the Oilers won handily. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment by Knoblauch and Oilers coaches surrounds overcoming the team's reputation regarding the McDavid minutes. Aggressive play, determined forechecking and playing beyond the rules seemed to impact the Oilers in past seasons, leaving the team without optimal McDavid at the most important time of the year. Knoblauch's ability to coach the defencemen on retrievals, make sure the forwards offer attractive outlets in breakouts and keep the puck out of the defensive zone may be the key step in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton.
France 24
29-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
US suggests Syria-Israel non-aggression deal
Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, with Israel taking the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. Since the ouster in December of former president Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes and multiple incursions into Syria. Barrack, who inaugurated the US ambassador's residence in Damascus on Thursday, said the conflict between the two countries was a "solvable problem". To him, Syria and Israel could "start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders" to build a new relationship with its neighbour. Israel has said its strikes on Syria were aimed at preventing advanced weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities, whom it considers jihadists. It has also threatened further intervention should the new authorities fail to protect the Druze religious minority. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said earlier this month that his administration was holding "indirect talks" with Israel to calm tensions between the two countries. Restoring US ties Sharaa, who led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December, was once a jihadist leader wanted in the United States. Since coming to power, he has repeatedly pledged inclusive governance that is open to the world, and restored Syria's ties with global powers, ending decades of isolation under Assad. While on tour in the Gulf earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, and said he hoped the country would normalise relations with Israel. "I told him, I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," he said of Sharaa. He also called Sharaa a "young, attractive guy" with a "very strong past. Fighter". On May 8, Sharaa said in France that Syria was holding "indirect talks through mediators" with Israel to "try to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides." The United States has in recent months started rebuilding ties with Syria, ending more than a decade of diplomatic freeze. Syria signed a $7 billion energy deal on Thursday with a consortium of Qatari, US and Turkish companies as it seeks to rehabilitate its war-ravaged electricity sector. US flag raised The agreement, signed in the presence of interim Sharaa and Barrack, is expected to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity and cover half of the country's needs. Barrack, who is also ambassador to Turkey, inaugurated the US ambassador's residence in the Syrian capital with Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani, state media outlet SANA reported. AFP photographers saw the US flag raised at the ambassador's residence, just a few hundred metres (yards) from the US embassy in the Abu Rummaneh neighbourhood, under tight security. "Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East," Trump said, according to a post on the State Department's X. The US embassy in Syria was closed after Assad's repression of a peaceful uprising that began in 2011, which degenerated into civil war. Barrack met with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul on 24 May, after the United States lifted sanctions on Syria. The meeting followed a meeting in Riyadh between Trump and Sharaa, who led the Islamist coalition that toppled Assad in December. The last US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was declared persona non grata in 2011 after defying the Syrian government by visiting a city that was under army siege and the site of a major anti-regime protests. In late December, a US delegation led by Barbara Leaf, the State Department's Middle East representative, held an initial meeting with the new leadership in Damascus. © 2025 AFP
